After the completion of her first solo effort "bleached" Cathy Rivers found herself and her surroundings in a state of decomposition, naturally her music has followed. Ascensión her new six song EP is an exploration of the landscape and emotions which filter through the Southwest. Produced by Teddy Morgan and including such great musicians as Joey Burns (Calexico) Eric Heywood (Son Volt) Jon Penner (Junior Brown) and Nick Luca (Iron and Wine) Cathy's music now takes a more introspective and de-constructive approach allowing the listener to really hear what she is trying to get at.

After spending several years honing he style as a singer -songwriter in a wide array of bands, and after supporting and promoting successful artists, Cathy Rivers has cultivated her own experiences in to a unique style of songwriting that brings a fresh perspective to American music. Her first full-length record "Bleached" will certainly earn her a spot alongside other great singer-songwriters like Steve Earle or Lucinds Williams.

Cathy Rivers is a story teller. Like the tattoos that color her arms, her songs paint pictures about who she is, where she has been, and the things that bring meaning to her life. In the same way that Lucinda Williams' " Car Wheels on a Gravel Road" conjures images of Southern life, Rivers' " Bleached" is loaded with narrative songs that evoke feelings of the hope and despair of living in the desert Southwest, the place that Cathy calls home. While songs of sex, vice, loss etc are all well covered territory, she offers a unique, womans perspective. The songs are hard edged, razor sharp, but expose a vulnerability and bitter truthfulness that most female singer-songwriters aren't willing to confront.

Bleached is a boundary defying record that is steeped in country roots, but incorporates the raw energy of punk rock, pop sensibilties, and a lazy, desert blues sound- it runs the gambit of American styles. The varying sounds are tied together by Rivers stand out vocals that defy immediate comparison to other women in the genre, but that certainly bring a fresh voice to Americana music.